Abraham Kuyper Translation Society

In 2011, a group of Abraham Kuyper scholars and experts met to form an association that has come to be known as the Abraham Kuyper Translation Society. Kuyper College and Acton Institute, along with other Abraham Kuyper scholars, have taken a special interest in facilitating the translation of Abraham Kuyper’s writings into English. Kuyper’s works hold great potential to build intellectual capacity within the church, providing a compelling and constructive public theology to guide the development of a winsome and constructive social witness and cultural engagement.

The Society recognizes that translations are not ends in themselves. Hence, plans are also underway to produce an Abraham Kuyper Islam anthology that will focus on how deeply Kuyper’s encounter with Islam toward the end of his life affected him and galvanized Pro rege, the last major work Kuyper completed in religion and theology. One anticipated result of translating Kuyper’s writings on Islam is to reveal to twenty-first century Christians, particularly students, how Kuyper successfully engaged another world religion and another culture. It is also hoped that this anthology, along with the translation of Kuyper’s other writings, will enable Christians to draw on their Reformation heritage and develop a sense of vocation as wide as creation itself.

Above all, the Society exists to further these and additional Kuyper scholarly projects that will help promote a holistic vision of God’s renewal encompassing all things.

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Project Details

For a full list of titles now available, see the project's page on the Christian's Library Press web site[14]. Other details on current translation efforts are detailed below.

Common Grace: Comprising three volumes and totaling 1,700 pages, Common Grace is the capstone of Kuyper’s public theology. The new translation will be released as nine separate books, the first three of which are now available (see here[15]). The series is being translated by Nelson D. Kloosterman and Ed M. van der Maas and edited by Jordan J. Ballor and Stephen J. Grabill.

Pro Rege: Kuyper’s three-volume work on the lordship of Christ will be published and edited precisely as Kuyper viewed them, i.e., as the application of his common grace volumes. Dr. Clifford Anderson will be editing with the assistance of Jess Driesenga of Fuller Seminary.

Guidance for Christian Engagement in Government: This translation of Kuyper's Our Program, an outline of Kuyper's political party, was translated and edited by Dr. Harry Van Dyke. It is now available for purchase[3].

Kuyper Church Anthology: The Kuyper Church Anthology is currently being edited by Dr. John Woods. Rooted and Grounded[2], one of Kuyper’s sermons to be included in this anthology, has already been published as a teaser.

Kuyper Islam Anthology: The material for inclusion in the Kuyper Islam Anthology is being translated by Dr. Jan van Vliet, Professor of Economics at Dordt College. Dr. James Bratt, Calvin College professor, will serve as editor. The anthology will serve as a primer/example of how to appropriately and meaningfully engage other cultures and religions.

Kuyper Education Anthology: Material for this anthology will be finalized in 2014. Scholarship[4] has been released as a teaser for the series.

Kuyper Business, Economics and Care of the Poor Anthology: Material for this anthology will be selected in 2014.